This gene is a member of the cadherin superfamily. The encoded protein is a calcium dependent cell-cell adhesion glycoprotein comprised of five extracellular cadherin repeats, a transmembrane region but, unlike the typical cadherin superfamily member, lacks the highly conserved cytoplasmic region. This particular cadherin is a putative mediator of cell-cell interaction in the heart and may act as a negative regulator of neural cell growth. The gene locus is hypermethylated or deleted in breast, ovarian and lung cancers. Two major mRNA transcripts encoding identical proteins are found, products of alternative polyadenylation sites. [provided by RefSeq